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The court in Chisinau convicted three people for participating in an organized criminal group, which during 2024 had prepared mass violent riots in Moldova and organized training in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
According to the indictment, the trainings were organized and led by individuals from Russia, in collaboration with Moldovan citizens, with the aim of causing unrest in Moldova, on the eve of the presidential elections and the referendum on membership in the European Union in 2024.
Information about “Russian camps” in Bosnia and Herzegovina emerged in October 2024. At that time, Moldovan security agencies stated that they had identified more than 100 young people, who were allegedly trained in Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, to destabilize the country.
The court in the Moldovan capital, on February 6, sentenced Aliona Gotco and Ludmila Costenco to four years and one month in prison, while Vladimir Harcevnicov was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.
The decision was made in the first instance court, while the defendants were not present for the sentencing. The court ordered their arrest to send them to serve their sentence, while the verdict can be appealed.
The decision states that the defendants acted as part of a stable criminal structure, under coordination from Russia, and had clearly separated roles.
According to the court, their activities included recruiting new members, logistical support, providing equipment, as well as training for violent and destabilizing actions.
A separate part of the verdict refers to trainings that, according to the court's findings, were held outside the territory of Moldova, mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
The court emphasizes that the defendants have stayed in Bosnia and Herzegovina several times, including in the Glamocan area, where they participated in theoretical and practical training.
According to the verdict, this training included advanced management and use of drones, their connection to command centers, aerial reconnaissance within attack groups, as well as simulations of dropping explosive devices with the help of drones.
In addition, the decision states that the training also included tactics for causing panic and chaos, methods for breaking police cordons, sabotage-subversive activities, and the preparation of incendiary and explosive devices.
The court found that these activities were directly related to plans to organize violent unrest in Moldova.
Serbia is mentioned in court documents as one of the locations of residence and training, but also as a transit country on the defendants' way to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The verdict states that the group's coordinator was based in Russia, from where he gave instructions to members, while training and practical activities took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
According to the court's findings, the accused were traveling on the Moldova-Serbia-Bosnia and Herzegovina route, while during the investigation, material evidence was found indicating their stay in both countries.
Among them are banknotes from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, SIM cards, telecommunications equipment, as well as digital recordings created during their stay in training camps.
The court also states in the verdict that during the searches of the defendants, parts for drones, VR glasses, remote controls, batteries, document storage devices, and digital materials that, according to the court, document the training and planned activities were found.
The digital recordings include photographs and videos taken during training, as well as instructions on the use of drones and the preparation of incendiary and explosive devices.
During the trial, the defendants denied guilt, claiming that they were unaware of the criminal nature of the activities in which they had participated and that they had considered their stays abroad as private or professional engagements.
The court, however, did not accept these claims, concluding that the evidence collected showed the existence of a clear purpose and coordination within the criminal group.
Filing of new indictments
During the trial, the Moldovan Prosecutor's Office also filed indictments against several other individuals linked to the training for inciting riots.
Also, police in Serbia arrested two people on September 26 of last year, on suspicion of having organized combat-tactical training for citizens of Moldova and Romania, with the aim of inciting unrest in Moldova.
The arrests followed after authorities in Chisinau publicly warned about the existence of combat camps in Serbia, stating that they were organized by the Russian secret service with the aim of destabilizing Moldova.
In early December 2025, Moldova conducted about 50 raids at several locations in the country and found evidence that an organized group, previously trained in a camp in Serbia, was allegedly planning to cause unrest in Moldova./ REL
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